Police in Sunny Isles locate man who fell off bridge after being struck by car

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. – Authorities in Miami-Dade County jumped into action after a man fell from a bridge after being hit by a car.

Witness described what they saw to Local 10 News seconds after the man was struck and went over the side of the bridge late Friday night in Sunny Isles Beach.

Police said the man was having problems with his car at around 10:50 p.m., so he pulled over and got out to take a look at the engine.

That’s when a car struck him, sending him over the side of the bridge into the water below, police said.

“Someone came up from behind him and ran into him,” a witness said. “There was at least 15-20 people looking over.”

A helicopter circled above and shone a spotlight into the waters around the 163rd Street bridge.

On the ground, police taped off around the base of the bridge while they searched by foot and by boat, well into Saturday morning.

Shortly before noon police said the man was located but did not release his identity as next of kin had yet to be notified.

The driver who hit the man stayed on scene, police said.

Local 10 cameras spotted a black Ferrari believed to be the car the man was driving.

A damaged white Maserati was also loaded onto a tow truck and hauled away from the scene.


About the Authors:

In January 2017, Hatzel Vela became the first local television journalist in the country to move to Cuba and cover the island from the inside. During his time living and working in Cuba, he covered some of the most significant stories in a post-Fidel Castro Cuba.